Q.David Bowers
In 1786 the Massachusetts government gave serious consideration to the production of copper coins. In March of that year Seth Reed of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, petitioned the Senate and House of Representatives of Massachusetts for the right to produce copper and silver coins made from metal extracted from native ore. The legislators, who heard the proposal on March 8th and 9th, were skeptical and requested that Reed bring evidence that the metals were indeed the products of mines located within the geographical confines of the Massachusetts state.
On March 15, 1786, a week after the Reed petition, another proposal was entered, this one by James Swan, who recognized the "want of a circulating medium, which may neither depreciate, be exported, or hoarded by the rich." He asked for a patent or license to coin 20,000 pounds sterling value in copper.
While neither the Reed nor the Swan petitions received favorable action, they did serve to stimulate interest in a native coinage. Accordingly, on March 23, 1786, a committee was formed with this stated purpose:
. . . to consider the best method to be adopted by this Commonwealth for the coining of silver and copper, to determine the value of the several sorts of coin, together with the quantity that it will be expedient to issue, with proper devices therefore, and what advantages may accrue to the Commonwealth thereby ...
In the same month the committee recommended that the Massachusetts government itself should establish a mint to manufacture copper pieces. It was estimated that in order to coin 20,000 pounds lawful value money in coppers it would require a cost of 8,250 pounds value of copper metal plus 1,950 pounds value for the work-houses, presses, plating mill, and other apparatus together with the fuel, wages of the workmen, and other costs, for a total expenditure of 10,200 pounds, returning to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a profit of 9,800 pounds.
The committee further reported: The government will not be obliged to advance a great sum to set it a going as the public hath a large quantity of copper ore suitable for the business by them, if they choose to employ it that way, but if they should not incline to do that, they may purchase old copper enough at two or three months' credit, to be paid for in copper as soon as it is coined ...
It was further recommended that copper should be coined in the denominations of one penny, one halfpenny, and one farthing.
In June 1786 the governor of Massachusetts requested that the matter of coinage consideration be suspended pending the outcome of the action of the United States government in the matter of coinage. It was considered that the United States Congress, if it were to issue a coinage, would provide pieces which would have uniform value throughout the different states and would be more convenient to commerce than a native Massachusetts coinage. In July, in disregard of the governor's wishes, the House of Representatives prepared a bill for the coinage of copper and the erecting of a mint. On October 17, 1786, legislation was passed which provided the following:
... that there be a mint erected within this Commonwealth, for the coining of gold, silver, and copper; and that all the coin that shall be struck therein shall be of the same weight, alloy, and value, and each piece bear the same name ... There shall be a quantity of copper coins struck, equal to the amount of 70,000 dollars, in pieces of the two different denominations mentioned in the said resolve, and in convenient proportions; one of which to have the name Cent stamped in the center thereof, and the other Half Cent, with such inscriptions or devices as the governor with the advice of Counsel may think proper; and the said coin, when struck, shall be received in all payments in this Commonwealth.
It was further provided that a mint be established and that an assayer, workmen, supplies, and other utensils be obtained for the purpose of coining.
On May 2, 1787, the coinage committee reported that their subsequent investigation found it necessary to erect a furnace made of special fire brick, the clay for which could not be obtained until the spring of the 1787 year. Conversations were held with Captain Joshua Wetherle, and the committee found that he was suited to superintend the setting up and conducting of the business. During the same month copper suitable for coining was located, including 3,434 pounds weight of copper and 650 pounds of "sprews," belonging to the Commonwealth, as well as several mortars and cannon suitable for melting down for use in coinage.
On June 27, 1787, the designs were established: ... the device on the copper coin to be emitted in this Commonwealth to be the figure of an Indian with a bow and arrow and a star on one side, with the word COMMONWEALTH, and on the reverse a spread eagle with the words OF MASSACHUSETTS AD 1787.
When coinage did materialize the legends "OF" and "AD" were omitted.
On October 18, 1787, in a speech the governor noted that, "in consequence of an act made October 1786, a mint has been erected for coining cents, and a very considerable quantity of copper will soon be ready for circulation ... "
Problems developed, and on January 16, 1788, the government expressed its concern with the slowness in mintage operations and ordered an investigation. Subsequently, Joshua Wetherle submitted a report which noted:
In May 1787 I received orders from the government to erect necessary buildings and to prepare machines suitable for the purpose of coining copper cents, etc., agreeable to an act of this Commonwealth, which was immediately begun to be put into execution, and no pains were spared to procure every article that was thought necessary. The iron furnaces which I was obliged to depend on for several articles which I could not do without were so nearly out of blast that I could not get the patterns made for the rollers and sundry other articles that were necessary, done so as to answer the purpose intended in the spring, therefore was obliged to go on as well as I could, and after spending some time and great pains in making the rollers, which I had cast, answer the purpose expected, was obliged to have a pair of rollers made of wrought iron, which have been made use of to this time, and are yet good.
The dies, with which the coin is struck, have been the means of great delay in the business, as it was not in my power to procure steel of a proper quality to receive the proper degree of hardness which is so absolutely necessary to sustain the great force of the machine in making the impression on the coin. I have now procured steel of that quality, which appears to answer the purpose very well. In addition to this, it must be supposed that some time would be spent to instruct persons in a business which has not been practiced in this country.